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Monday, March 14, 2011

i know why the scottish can drink me under the table

It's that darn weather. It seriously changes all the time. I went to visit my brother Jack and his friend Isaac (who came to visit me in Madrid last year) in Edinburgh last weekend. Jack is spending the semester studying in Edinburgh. In the span of 3 days I saw rain, sun, snow, clouds and lots of cold. It makes sense why people want to go running into a pub just to get out of the cold and sit down to have a pint. Despite the loco weather, Edinburgh is an amazing city and Scotland is a beautiful country. Here are some of the highlights from my visit:

1. Haggis

Although the ingrediants kind of make me want to gag, it is so delicious! The mashed potatoes and turnips were a great accompaniment. After a long cold walk to the restuarant, it was the perfect meal to warm you up.

2. Edinburgh Castle

We went to see the castle on Saturday morning. It had just snowed hahaha so we lined up to check out Edinburgh's main attraction. And what an attraction it is! Not only was it the castle but it was also the home of 3 seperate museums. We spent about 3 hours touring around the different part of the caslte and could have spent more. It was a really impressive castle, especially because it towers over the whole city.

3. The Elephant Teahouse

Firstly this café is absolutely adorable, but more importantly it is the birthplace of Harry Potter!!! Yes, JK Rowling herself sat in at the Elephant Teahouse and inspired by the view of the castle birthed the idea of HP. The views up to the castle are amazing and they have some killer caramel shortbread too.

4. Literary Pub Tour

On Saturday night we went to a literary pub tour around the city. I was really excited about it and it did not disappoint. It was led by 2 professional actores that had a lively and entertaining dialogue. We went visited 4 different pubs and learned about famous authors that were inspired by Edinburgh. I learned about Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson and lots of other authors. I highly recommend it for anyone going to Edinburgh!

5. It was sunny on Sunday!

So I got to enjoy my last day in Edinburgh by going to Calton Hill and Holyrood Park to enjoy some clear views of the city. I got some great photos and it was a fantastic way to end my trip.

6. Seeing my bro

It was so great to see Jack and have him show me around the city. I was really glad to see someone from the family after being away from home for so long!